NINE Swindon Town fans have appeared in court for the second time in connection with football violence during a match in Bournemouth.

All of them pleaded not guilty at Bournemouth Magistrates' Court yesterday to a charge of breaching public order by behaving in a threatening way.

The nine men follow eight other Swindon fans who all pleaded not guilty to a similar offence last month.

All 17 were arrested in March after trouble flared at an away game in December.

They were released on conditional bail which bans them from attending matches at the County Ground and any other games. They are also barred from going near the County Ground three hours before a match and two hours after.

Around 700 fans travelled from Swindon to watch the game on December 18, which the Robins lost 2-1.

Forty fans were caught up in a fracas in a busy shopping area near Bournemouth's Dean Court Stadium.

The clashes led to the biggest crackdown on football violence ever carried out by Swindon police.

Officers spent hours studying CCTV footage to identify troublemakers.

The defendants who appeared in court yesterday were Kevin Pike, 33, of Bramwell Close, Stratton, Jason Back, 35, of Elmina Road Swindon, Craig Finalyson, 29, of Chester Street, Swindon, Darren Gleed, 37, of Somerville Road Walcot, Dean Armstrong-Wilde, 22, of Blake Crescent, Stratton, Daniel Pook, 24, of Hodson Road, Chiseldon, Paul Moulden, 38, of Turnpike Road, Highworth, Matthew Greener, 18, of The Hunt Close, Semington, Melksham, and Andrzej Plocki, 43, of Elmore, Eldene.

The case was adjourned for a pre-trial review until June 14.

In March Swindon police failed in their bid to have five alleged football hooligans banned from matches after trouble between rival fans when Swindon played host to Bournemouth on March 5.

Four Bournemouth fans and one Swindon supporter pleaded guilty to various offences ranging from entering a sports ground while drunk to causing harassment, alarm or distress.

Among them was Stephen Lang, 39, of Bradstocks, Abingdon, a Town fan who had previous convictions for assault and obstructing a police officer. But, in spite of applications from the police, none of the five were given banning orders.

Gareth Bethell